A mixing device for outputting wet insulation is provided. The mixing device includes a nozzle and a plurality of control apertures that control penetration of a wetting material, such as foam with a binder, into insulation particles that are being forcibly moved through the nozzle. The control apertures can be used to provide a spray output and/or control the insulation density associated with the wet insulation output by the nozzle. The control apertures can be part of a primary conduit that can be adjustable or removable relative to a receiver space of the nozzle. Depending on the relative location of the control apertures in the nozzle receiver space, a desired insulation density can be achieved. Different primary conduits can also be provided having one or more of a different number of control apertures, sizes of the control apertures and positions thereof.
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8. A mixing device, for delivery of wet insulation, comprising:
a secondary conduit for carrying a wetting material; and a primary conduit including a plurality of control apertures in communication with said secondary conduit from which a wetting material exits and combines with insulation particles, said primary conduit having portions within said nozzle receiver space and said primary conduit for carrying the insulation particles, said primary conduit having an outlet end that includes a number of teeth wherein wetting material can move between said teeth.
9. A method for controlling delivery of insulation, comprising:
providing a mixing device that includes a plurality of control apertures; locating said control apertures in a first position relative to a receiver space of said mixing device; supplying wetting material through at least some of said control apertures; combining said wetting material with insulation particles; outputting a wet insulation from said mixing device associated with a first insulation density; and changing said control apertures from said first position to a second position associated with a second density of said wet insulation.
4. A mixing device, for delivery of wet insulation, comprising:
a nozzle including a receiver space and an outlet for outputting wet insulation; a secondary conduit for carrying a wetting material; and a primary conduit including a plurality of control apertures and an outlet end and being in communication with said secondary conduit from which a wetting material exits and combines with insulation particles, said primary conduit outlet end is adjacent to a plurality of teeth past which at least some of said wetting material moves, said primary conduit having portions within said nozzle receiver space and said primary conduit for carrying the insulation particles.
15. A method for delivery of insulation, comprising:
providing a mixing device that includes a plurality of control apertures, said plurality of control apertures being part of an adjustable connector; locating said control apertures in a first position relative to a receiver space of said mixing device; supplying wetting material through at least some of said control apertures and in which said first position is such that at least a majority of said wetting material passes through said plurality of control apertures; combining said wetting material with insulation particles; and outputting a wet insulation from said mixing device associated with a first insulation density.
3. A mixing device for delivery of wet insulation, comprising:
a nozzle including a receiver space and an outlet for outputting wet insulation; a secondary conduit for carrying a wetting material; a primary conduit having portions within said nozzle receiver space and including a plurality of control apertures in communication with said secondary conduit from which a wetting material exits and combines with insulation particles, said primary conduit for carrying the insulation particles; and a second primary conduit having a plurality of control apertures in which said control apertures of said second primary conduit are different from said control apertures of said primary conduit in at least one of number and a size.
1. A mixing device for delivery of wet insulation, comprising:
a nozzle including a receiver space and an outlet for outputting wet insulation; a secondary conduit for carrying a wetting material; and a primary conduit having a plurality of control apertures in communication with said secondary conduit from which the wetting material exits and combines with insulation particles, said primary conduit having portions within said nozzle receiver space and also having an outlet end from which wet insulation exits, said outlet end of said primary conduit being different than said plurality of control apertures and said primary conduit outlet end being located downstream of said plurality of control apertures, said primary conduit including said plurality of control apertures and said outlet end thereof being adjustably positioned relative to said receiver space.
2. A mixing device, as claimed in
said primary conduit has at least first and second positions, the wet insulation having a first predetermined insulation density when said primary conduit is in said first position and the wet insulation having a second insulation density when said primary conduit is in said second position.
5. A mixing device, as claimed in
said plurality of control apertures are of a number and a size such that the wetting material exits said control apertures with the force of at least 50 psi.
6. A mixing device, as claimed in
a barrier held with said secondary conduit and having a number of holes useful in foaming the wetting material, said barrier located upstream of said control apertures.
7. A mixing device, as claimed in
said primary conduit is located in said receiver space such that substantially all the wetting material passes through said plurality of control apertures.
10. A method, as claimed in
providing another plurality of control apertures, with said another plurality of control apertures being different in at least one of: the number of said plurality of control apertures and a size of at least one of said another of said plurality of control apertures.
11. A method, as claimed in
said supplying step includes causing said wetting material to exit said control apertures at a pressure of at least about 50 psi.
12. A method, as claimed in
said control apertures are part of a primary conduit that is adjustable relative to said receiver space in conducting said locating step and said primary conduit has an outlet end from which wet insulation exits that is located downstream of said control apertures and in which said outlet end of said primary conduit moves with said control apertures from said first position to said second position.
13. A method, as claimed in
said locating step includes using a first primary conduit having said plurality of control apertures and said changing includes using a second primary conduit having said another plurality of control apertures.
14. A method, as claimed in
foaming said wetting material utilizing a number of holes upstream of said supplying step.
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The present invention relates to installing wet insulation and, in particular, supplying insulation to an area being insulated using a mixing device that can control insulation density.
According to one well-established way of installing insulation, insulation particles are output from a nozzle using the force of pressurized air. In one category of installing insulation using such a nozzle and pressurized air, the insulation particles are wetted before they are output from the nozzle. The wetting material can include a binder or adhesive that is useful in maintaining positions of the insulation particles relative to each other after drying of the wetting material. The wetting material can also be a foamable material that is in a foamed state when insulation particles are combined with such wetting material. The combination of insulation particles and foam material, including binder, is held in place in the cavity being insulated using the binder and the foamed insulation subsequently dries in the cavity.
Although the equipment and method of installing foamed insulation are satisfactory for their intended purposes, it would be beneficial to incorporate additional features. When installing insulation, it is desirable to provide a predetermined insulation density. Depending on the building or other object being insulated, it may be that different buildings or different areas of the same building might require greater or lesser insulation density. It would be, therefore, worthwhile to be able to adjust the insulation density while using the same, or essentially the same, equipment. Some installations of insulation may require a greater application of force in delivery of the wet insulation. The degree or amount of force may be a function of the location and/or type of object or cavity being insulated. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a mixing device and method of applying wet insulation that achieves at least these further objectives.
In accordance with the present invention, a mixing device is provided for delivery of wet insulation to a building cavity or other object or item that is to be insulated. The mixing device includes a nozzle and a plurality of control apertures through which wetting material (e.g., a binder that is foamed and/or includes another material that is foamed) passes and penetrates into insulation particles, as they are being forcibly moved using pressurized air. The control apertures are located relative to the insulation particles so that the wetting material sufficiently penetrates them. In one embodiment, the control apertures are formed in a primary conduit or adjustable connector. When sufficient penetration occurs, density of the resulting wet insulation is better controlled and a more forceful wet insulation passes from the outlet of the nozzle. A more forceful wet insulation can result in a spray thereof escaping from the nozzle. In certain applications, it is beneficial for the cavity, building unit or other object being insulated to be contacted with a spray of wet insulation. These applications might include difficult-to-access pipes, cavities or items located at a relatively greater distance from the nozzle and/or objects that require that the wet insulation strike it with greater force to achieve better holding action of the wet insulation to the object being insulated. The insulation particles can include one or more of a variety of well-known materials or fibers, such as mineral fibers, paper and fiberglass. Insulation particles that include ceramic fibers provide desired fireproofing attributes. Related to achieving the desired insulation density, the pressure of the wetting material as it exits through the control apertures substantially increases over its pressure before entry into the control apertures. In one embodiment, such exit pressure is at least 50 psi and preferably greater than about 75 psi. This increased pressure of the wetting material enhances penetration thereof into the insulation particles as they move through the adjustable connector and exit the outlet end of the nozzle. The control apertures optimize, or at least facilitate, proper combining of the wetting material and the insulation particles. Proper combining can be measured or determined by the amount of wetting material required to achieve two important objectives: (i) sufficient penetration or wetting of the dry insulation particles so that desired or appropriate sticking or holding of the wet insulation to the object being insulated occurs and (ii) none, or substantially none, of the dry insulation particles is airborne after escaping the nozzle; instead, all, or substantially all, of the insulation particles are part of the wet insulation that outputs the nozzle.
In one embodiment in which the control apertures are part of the hollow adjustable connector, this connector or primary conduit or a tube is joined to the nozzle, with at least portions thereof held in the receiver space of the nozzle, which is the volume defined or bounded by the inner surfaces or walls of the nozzle. The primary conduit carries the insulation particles that are to be wetted. The control apertures are formed adjacent to the end of the primary conduit that is inserted into the receiver space. The control apertures can be formed in one or more circumferential sets of apertures. Each circumferential set of apertures is defined as being positioned about one circumferential section of the adjustable connector. The number, sizes and/or positions of the control apertures can vary. The adjustable connector can be moved inwardly/outwardly relative to the receiver space, as well as rotatably moved, so that the control apertures are adjustably positioned in the receiver space. Depending upon their positions, penetration of the wetting material, which is transported using a secondary conduit, into the insulation particles can be controlled. In one embodiment, more inward movement of the control apertures into the receiver space results in greater insulation density being achieved, as at least some, if not a majority or all, of the wetting material passes from the secondary conduit to the primary conduit through the control apertures. Conversely, relatively more outward positioning of the control apertures results in relatively less insulation density. When the adjustable connector is located further inward of the receiver space, in one embodiment, there is less, if any, space or gap between the inner surface of the nozzle and the outer surface of the adjustable connector that would permit wetting material to by-pass the control apertures and pass through any such gap. This results in more, if not all, of the wetting material being forced to pass through the control apertures and penetrate the insulation particles that are being forcibly moved through the hollow of the adjustable connector. In another embodiment or alternative, the receiver space of the nozzle may be configured such that one or some control apertures, in whole or in part, may be blocked by portions of the inner surface of the nozzle thereby reducing the number of control apertures through which the wetting material can pass into the hollow of the adjustable connector.
In the embodiment that has the adjustable connector, it is preferred that it include one or more marks or indicia that identify for the operator or user predetermined positions of the adjustable connector that correspond to a desired penetration of wetting material into the insulation particles and/or correlate with a predetermined insulation density. Each such mark on the adjustable connector, when positioned relative to the nozzle, results in the predetermined or desired insulation density based on the wet insulation that is output from the nozzle.
Based on the foregoing summary, a number of advantages of the present invention can be identified. A mixing device is disclosed that can output sprayed wet insulation for insulating desired objects, such as buildings including portions thereof. The insulation density associated with the wet insulation can be controlled by means of an adjustable connector and/or substitutable connector(s) with different control apertures. Substantial increased pressure of wetting material is provided to achieve desired penetration of wetting material into the insulation particles. In one embodiment, the wetting material can be a foam that might include a foamable binder. The relatively dry insulation particles are advantageously wetted so that desired sticking of the wet insulation to the object being insulated occurs. Relatedly, virtually all the insulation that escapes from the mixing device is part of the wet insulation and not unwanted airborne particles. The wet insulation can have fireproofing qualities to achieve suitable fire protection of the object being insulated.
Additional advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following discussion, particularly when taken together with the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
Extending from the opposite end of the body 32 is a cone or tapered section 50 that terminates in an outlet section or end 54. The body 32 may be integral with the cone section 50. In one embodiment, the body 32 is held or otherwise joined to the cone section 50 using a cone clamp 58. When using the mixing device, relatively dry insulation particles are received by the primary conduit 40 and carried by it under the force of pressurized air to where the insulation particles are to be combined with a wetting material, in one or both of the end portions of the primary conduit 40 and those portions of the receiver space 28 that are downstream of the primary conduit 40.
In conjunction with providing the wetting material to be combined with the relatively dry insulation particles, the mixing device 20 includes a secondary conduit 62 having an outlet passage 66 from which the wetting material exits the secondary conduit 62. The wetting material is received by the secondary conduit 62 at its opposite end using an end connector 70 to which a first or wetting material feed line 74 and a second or pressurized air feed line 78 is joined. The first feed line 78 transports or carries a wetting material that is to be combined with the relatively dry insulation particles carried by the primary conduit 40. In one embodiment, the wetting material includes at least a binder or adhesive that is to be combined with the insulation particles. In another embodiment, the wetting material includes an adhesive binder and a foamable component or substance mixed with the adhesive binder to facilitate a foaming of such wetting material. In another embodiment, the adhesive binder itself is sufficiently foamable to provide a desired foamable wetting material. The pressurized air supplied by the second feed line 78 combines with the wetting material to force the wetting material along the secondary conduit 62 and eventually through the outlet passage 66. In the illustrated embodiment, also operably associated with the end connector 70 is a first or wetting control valve or part 82 and a second or pressurized air valve or part 86, each of which can be used to control input of its respective constituent, namely, the wetting material and the pressurized air and its ability to enter or pass into the secondary conduit 62. Typically, the force of the pressurized air at the juncture of the end connector 70 and the second feed line 78 is less than about 5 psi. Hence, the wetting material carried along the secondary conduit 62 is at a relatively low pressure. Similarly, the relatively dry insulation particles carried along the primary conduit are at a comparable pressure, i.e., less than about 5 psi.
Referring to
With respect to making determinations for locating the marks 104 on the primary conduit 40, the mixing device 20 with such a primary conduit 40 can be used to output wet insulation that is a combination of the wetting material and the insulation particles. Outputted wet insulation can be measured or otherwise analyzed for each one of a number of positions of the primary conduit 40 relative to the nozzle 24. For a particular position of the primary conduit 40 and based on such measuring or analysis of the outputted wet insulation, a determination is made related to its insulation density. This procedure can be followed for each of a number of different positions of the primary conduit 40 relative to the nozzle 24. Measurements and analyses can be conducted for each of the positions. From this, one or more of a number of marks 104 can be provided. As should be appreciated, the number of marks 104 need net correspond or be equal to the number of sets of control apertures 100. Furthermore, each mark can include a number or other identifier that accurately conveys to the operator the particular insulation density that is intended to result from a predetermined position of that particular mark 104.
Also illustrated in the embodiment of
Referring to
With reference to
Referring next to
Referring lastly to
The foregoing discussion of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, the description is not intended to limit the inventions to the forms disclosed herein. Consequently, further variations and modifications commensurate with the above teachings, within the skill and knowledge of the relevant art, are within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments described hereinabove are further intended to explain the best mode presently known for practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such, or in other, embodiments and with various modification(s) required by the particular application or use of the invention. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.
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Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Mar 27 2002 | Ark Seal, LLC | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / | |||
Nov 03 2004 | HENRY SPERBER REVOCABLE TRUST | Ark Seal, LLC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 015530 | /0813 | |
Aug 23 2005 | ARK-SEAL, INC | BLOW IN BLANKET LLC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 017649 | /0414 | |
Oct 10 2008 | BLOW IN BLANKET, LLC | ARAGON, JESSE | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 021876 | /0703 |
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